http://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/
en-usOutside the BoxChristine Crandell's stories.Copyright 2018 Forbes LLChttps://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/349bea70e18e743fed2871ddfcb35109?s=400&d=mm&r=gOutside the Boxhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/feed/
https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2017/10/14/how-employee-annual-performance-reviews-can-make-or-break-customer-experience/
How Employee Annual Performance Reviews Can Make Or Break Customer ExperienceTo understand why and how the annual performance process helps or hurts companies' customer experience, interviewed with two experts with different perspectives - Vip Sandhir is CEO and Founder of HighGround, and Michael Brenner, keynote speaker, author and CEO of Marketing Insider Group.Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/59e2294664aaf922be63a98eSat, 14 Oct 2017 11:35:00 -04002017-10-14T11:35:00-04:00To understand why and how the annual performance process helps or hurts companies' customer experience, interviewed with two experts with different perspectives - Vip Sandhir is CEO and Founder of HighGround, and Michael Brenner, keynote speaker, author and CEO of Marketing Insider Group.https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2017/09/10/4-questions-every-small-business-must-ask-about-artificial-intelligence/
4 Questions Every Small Business Must Ask About Artificial IntelligenceArtificial intelligence is the newest technology adding efficiency and intellect to small business – don’t be late to adapt; be better, faster, smarter operators with the use of AI. Before acting on an AI rollout, here are the top four questions small businesses should ask themselves.Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/59b3411a64aaf93961c9bb7eSun, 10 Sep 2017 11:31:00 -04002017-09-10T11:31:00-04:00Artificial intelligence is the newest technology adding efficiency and intellect to small business – don’t be late to adapt; be better, faster, smarter operators with the use of AI. Before acting on an AI rollout, here are the top four questions small businesses should ask themselves.https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2017/08/18/culture-defines-linkedins-customer-experience/
Culture Defines LinkedIn's Customer ExperienceThe last point is the most important. Technology enables asynchronous conversations to employee productivity but they’re only effective if customer experiences are supported by real, meaningful relationships. Read how LinkedIn achieves this.Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/58bcaa5864aaf95dd3d68f7eFri, 18 Aug 2017 10:30:00 -04002017-08-18T10:30:00-04:00The last point is the most important. Technology enables asynchronous conversations to employee productivity but they’re only effective if customer experiences are supported by real, meaningful relationships. Read how LinkedIn achieves this.https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2017/08/15/why-your-marketing-automation-roi-is-in-the-lost-and-found/
Why Your Marketing Automation ROI Is In The 'Lost And Found'53% of companies surveyed implemented marketing automation, 37% were planning to and 10% not at all. The lack of adoption is puzzling since 82% of study respondents agreed that MA can make them more efficient, deliver ROI and increase revenue. Study results summariezed.Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/599206b964aaf9131bbbf3d4Tue, 15 Aug 2017 07:56:00 -04002017-08-15T07:56:00-04:0053% of companies surveyed implemented marketing automation, 37% were planning to and 10% not at all. The lack of adoption is puzzling since 82% of study respondents agreed that MA can make them more efficient, deliver ROI and increase revenue. Study results summariezed.https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2017/07/29/if-general-motors-can-achieve-customer-alignment-why-cant-you/
If General Motors Can Achieve Customer-Alignment, Why Can't You?Six lessons on how General Motors transformed into a top to bottom customer-aligned organization that every organization can apply. Where they started, the role of the CEO, how data can be a gotcha and the value of starting small and failing fast along the way.Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/597bce5b64aaf93605d18835Sat, 29 Jul 2017 12:20:00 -04002017-07-29T12:20:00-04:00Six lessons on how General Motors transformed into a top to bottom customer-aligned organization that every organization can apply. Where they started, the role of the CEO, how data can be a gotcha and the value of starting small and failing fast along the way.https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2017/07/06/257-iot-thought-leaders-and-who-influences-them/
257 IoT Thought Leaders And Who Influences ThemLeadtail’s report includes aggregate stats on the full panel of 257 IoT professionals market sector including their profiles, top hashtags, who they retweet the most and top content sources. Getting up to speed and stay on the cutting edge of IoT is a bit easier with this report.Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/595e267064aaf930c1a2c696Thu, 6 Jul 2017 12:45:00 -04002017-07-06T12:45:00-04:00Leadtail’s report includes aggregate stats on the full panel of 257 IoT professionals market sector including their profiles, top hashtags, who they retweet the most and top content sources. Getting up to speed and stay on the cutting edge of IoT is a bit easier with this report.https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2017/06/26/the-problem-with-data-is-too-much-of-the-wrong-stuff/
The Problem With Data Is Too Much Of The Wrong Stuff.Data has been the crux of corporate productivity, transformation and effectiveness challenges for decades . Yet solving it is often shuffled aside because that requires lots of human effort, not technology. Three best practices that companies should follow to get the most out of their data.Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/59510f9e64aaf941135b4f4fMon, 26 Jun 2017 10:23:00 -04002017-06-26T10:23:00-04:00Data has been the crux of corporate productivity, transformation and effectiveness challenges for decades . Yet solving it is often shuffled aside because that requires lots of human effort, not technology. Three best practices that companies should follow to get the most out of their data.https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2017/05/30/3-reasons-customer-centricity-brands-arent-walking-the-talk-and-how-to-fix-that/
3 Reasons Brands Aren't 'Walking The CX Talk' And How To Fix That3 reasons why customer-centric brands are not really walking the talk. Findings from Leapfrog Institute study on how the 4 things companies can do to realize the ROI from becoming customer-aligned organizations.Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/592d5b7464aaf941135ad5c2Tue, 30 May 2017 08:35:00 -04002017-05-30T08:35:00-04:003 reasons why customer-centric brands are not really walking the talk. Findings from Leapfrog Institute study on how the 4 things companies can do to realize the ROI from becoming customer-aligned organizations.https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2017/05/03/how-jerry-maguire-would-use-automation-to-sell/
AI And IoT Forces Hunters And Farmers To Become Orchestrators3 trends every Sales leaders needs to know and new skills to be successful in the age of IoT, cognitive intelligence and A.I. and how Sales teams will need change to remain relevant and successful.Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/58f932e564aaf90433d99e80Wed, 3 May 2017 12:28:00 -04002017-05-03T12:28:00-04:003 trends every Sales leaders needs to know and new skills to be successful in the age of IoT, cognitive intelligence and A.I. and how Sales teams will need change to remain relevant and successful.https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2017/04/09/how-to-effectively-implement-customer-journey-maps/
How To Effectively Implement Customer Journey MapsIt’s our natural resistance to change that requires a solid plan to operationalizing customer journey maps. There are three best practices to successfully doing this that will lead to ROI and growth. Don’t be afraid to include a handful of strategic customers as this is a community effort.Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/58ea899364aaf936cc6d9076Sun, 9 Apr 2017 16:09:00 -04002017-04-09T16:09:00-04:00It’s our natural resistance to change that requires a solid plan to operationalizing customer journey maps. There are three best practices to successfully doing this that will lead to ROI and growth. Don’t be afraid to include a handful of strategic customers as this is a community effort.https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2016/10/23/chatbots-will-be-your-new-best-friend/
Chatbots Will Be Your New Best FriendVerizon is excited about chatbots and the advances in AI. Technology has provided huge benefits and it's easy to get carried away with the allure of human-machine relationships. Yet, lurking in the background is the concern about unintended consequences.Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/580cf2aa64aaf93de4c244baSun, 23 Oct 2016 13:46:00 -04002016-10-23T13:46:00-04:00Verizon is excited about chatbots and the advances in AI. Technology has provided huge benefits and it's easy to get carried away with the allure of human-machine relationships. Yet, lurking in the background is the concern about unintended consequences.https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2016/09/22/customer-service-shouldnt-be-responsible-for-solving-customer-issues/
Customer Service Shouldn't Be Responsible For Solving Customer IssueseBay and PayPal automatically resolve 60 million dispute cases per year using software without customer support being involved. This is the future of commerce, blockchain and digital experience and its here today - and customers and vendors like it.Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/57e3e86b64aaf93de4c1aa4dThu, 22 Sep 2016 10:40:00 -04002016-09-22T10:40:00-04:00eBay and PayPal automatically resolve 60 million dispute cases per year using software without customer support being involved. This is the future of commerce, blockchain and digital experience and its here today - and customers and vendors like it.https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2016/08/30/how-iot-refines-what-sales-success-looks-like/
How IoT Redefines What Sales Success Looks LikeIoT disintermediates B2B account management. What is sales’ role when machines take care of and order for themselves? The findings of study into the characteristics of successful sales people are shared and their relevance in the era of IoT.Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/57c62e8a64aaf914f0520f17Tue, 30 Aug 2016 21:48:00 -04002016-08-30T21:48:00-04:00IoT disintermediates B2B account management. What is sales’ role when machines take care of and order for themselves? The findings of study into the characteristics of successful sales people are shared and their relevance in the era of IoT.https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2016/06/10/customer_cocreation_secret_sauce/
Customer Co-Creation Is The Secret Sauce To SuccessNot all customers and markets are ready to embrace the commitment, transparency and responsibility of co-creation. DHL and Phononic will tell you to “choose your markets and customers wisely and go into co-creation eyes wide open.” But do it now.Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/5759c60964aaf934045301ffFri, 10 Jun 2016 13:44:00 -04002016-06-10T13:44:00-04:00Not all customers and markets are ready to embrace the commitment, transparency and responsibility of co-creation. DHL and Phononic will tell you to “choose your markets and customers wisely and go into co-creation eyes wide open.” But do it now.https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2016/05/09/customer-experience-is-a-culture-problem/
Customer Experience Is A Culture ProblemCustomer experience has undergone a dramatic transformation over the past four years. The software category matured, fragmented and is consolidating as vendors and users, alike, tried to achieve the promised ROI – revenue growth from customer loyalty. Customer experience is in the process of being redefined. It’s not software that automates engagement or predicts which customer an employee should or should not pay attention to. Customer experience is about all-inclusive strategic alignment between the customer’s engagement expectations, brand promise and the company culture behind the brand. To win, CEOs must be maniacal about that alignment.Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/57313009e4b0e82c53359a48Mon, 9 May 2016 21:09:00 -04002016-05-09T21:09:00-04:00Customer experience has undergone a dramatic transformation over the past four years. The software category matured, fragmented and is consolidating as vendors and users, alike, tried to achieve the promised ROI – revenue growth from customer loyalty. Customer experience is in the process of being redefined. It’s not software that automates engagement or predicts which customer an employee should or should not pay attention to. Customer experience is about all-inclusive strategic alignment between the customer’s engagement expectations, brand promise and the company culture behind the brand. To win, CEOs must be maniacal about that alignment.https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2015/10/19/latest-customer-centricity-battleground-is-the-website/
Latest Customer-Centricity Battleground Is The WebsiteToday’s best websites serve as the backbone of a well-structured digital ecosystem whose components are meant to manage all of the desired customer/audience digital actions, from engagement to conversion. The website itself should serve as the definitive source for educational and meaningful content that is re-distributed across multiple digital channels in the sub-formats that make it relevant to the buyers’ preferences for those channels. The website should serve as the hub.Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/56251e04e4b0375e492c7d3eMon, 19 Oct 2015 13:03:00 -04002015-10-19T13:03:00-04:00Today’s best websites serve as the backbone of a well-structured digital ecosystem whose components are meant to manage all of the desired customer/audience digital actions, from engagement to conversion. The website itself should serve as the definitive source for educational and meaningful content that is re-distributed across multiple digital channels in the sub-formats that make it relevant to the buyers’ preferences for those channels. The website should serve as the hub.https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2015/10/09/going-beyond-customer-centric-marketing/
Going Beyond Customer-Centric MarketingMarketing is at a crossroad. On one side is the customer; on the other is the brand, the marketer in the middle. Pace-setting CMOs have openly surrendered to the fact that the buyer is in full control of vendor relationships, not just of the purchase cycle. The result is the rise of customer co-created marketing. What does customer co-created marketing actually mean?Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/56176a3ee4b0654344d64cfaFri, 9 Oct 2015 03:28:00 -04002015-10-09T03:28:00-04:00Marketing is at a crossroad. On one side is the customer; on the other is the brand, the marketer in the middle. Pace-setting CMOs have openly surrendered to the fact that the buyer is in full control of vendor relationships, not just of the purchase cycle. The result is the rise of customer co-created marketing. What does customer co-created marketing actually mean?https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2015/08/26/adobe-study-finds-email-is-an-addiction/
Adobe Study Finds Email Is An AddictionAdobe Systems released the results from their latest email survey that included 400 interviews with USA white collar workers and Adobe’s Digital Index (ADI) which analyzed 17 billion visits coming from email. The study findings include that Americans are addicted to email and check it around the clock.Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/55da2e27e4b0dee06820ddf7Wed, 26 Aug 2015 10:18:00 -04002015-08-26T10:18:00-04:00Adobe Systems released the results from their latest email survey that included 400 interviews with USA white collar workers and Adobe’s Digital Index (ADI) which analyzed 17 billion visits coming from email. The study findings include that Americans are addicted to email and check it around the clock.https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2015/08/20/my-data-is-sexier-than-your-app/
My Data Is Sexier Than Your AppThe day of reckoning is upon MarTech vendors as companies take a hard look at the real ROI. It’s not about nurture ads, retargeting, or predictive analytics in and of themselves. Instead, marketers must prove to their CEOs and Boards ROI – how much revenue came or how faster the sales cycle is from the technology. If the investment can’t be tied back to quantifiable revenue the odds are high that the particular Cloud application will not be renewed.Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/55d65d04e4b0dee06820d52bThu, 20 Aug 2015 19:13:00 -04002015-08-20T19:13:00-04:00The day of reckoning is upon MarTech vendors as companies take a hard look at the real ROI. It’s not about nurture ads, retargeting, or predictive analytics in and of themselves. Instead, marketers must prove to their CEOs and Boards ROI – how much revenue came or how faster the sales cycle is from the technology. If the investment can’t be tied back to quantifiable revenue the odds are high that the particular Cloud application will not be renewed.https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2015/07/29/five-customer-experience-lessons-british-airways-taught-me/
Five Customer Experience Lessons British Airways Taught MeMy British Airways experience was so memorable and thought-provoking I have to thank them for the inspiration for this article. It was not from how they delighted me but for providing numerous examples of how companies today have gotten “customer experience” wrong.Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/55b95212e4b0dee068206202Wed, 29 Jul 2015 18:42:00 -04002015-07-29T18:42:00-04:00My British Airways experience was so memorable and thought-provoking I have to thank them for the inspiration for this article. It was not from how they delighted me but for providing numerous examples of how companies today have gotten “customer experience” wrong.https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2015/07/22/big-data-will-select-your-next-strategic-partner/
Big Data Will Select Your Next Strategic PartnerTechnology and big data analytics are reshaping the way strategic partnerships are developed and opening them up to businesses that could never access them before. The traditional model is being disrupted as technology significantly reduces the cost and big data shifts the model away from a dependency on personal networks to a focus on analytics and machine driven smart decisions.Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/55af8947e4b0dee068203524Wed, 22 Jul 2015 08:23:00 -04002015-07-22T08:23:00-04:00Technology and big data analytics are reshaping the way strategic partnerships are developed and opening them up to businesses that could never access them before. The traditional model is being disrupted as technology significantly reduces the cost and big data shifts the model away from a dependency on personal networks to a focus on analytics and machine driven smart decisions.cfo-networkhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2015/07/09/2015-state-of-the-customer-success-profession/
2015 State Of The Customer Success ProfessionTotango, a customer success management software platform, released the results from their 2015 Customer Success Salary Survey & State of the Profession Report based on a sample of 748 participants. The profession has made great strides in the past 12 months in terms of importance, compensation and scope.Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/559b2b16e4b0dee0681fe4fbThu, 9 Jul 2015 11:49:00 -04002015-07-09T11:49:00-04:00Totango, a customer success management software platform, released the results from their 2015 Customer Success Salary Survey & State of the Profession Report based on a sample of 748 participants. The profession has made great strides in the past 12 months in terms of importance, compensation and scope.https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2015/06/23/lessons-serial-ceos-wish-they-knew-when-they-started/
Lessons Serial CEOs Wish They Knew When They StartedInterview with Keith Krach, Sandra Kurtzig, Sid Banerjee, and Andres Reiner on the five lessons that, in retrospect, they wish they knew when they started out. It's not what you think.Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/55874a66e4b01f0c1d93a19eTue, 23 Jun 2015 14:53:00 -04002015-06-23T14:53:00-04:00Interview with Keith Krach, Sandra Kurtzig, Sid Banerjee, and Andres Reiner on the five lessons that, in retrospect, they wish they knew when they started out. It's not what you think.ceo-networkhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2015/02/21/getting-to-the-real-cost-of-customer-success/
Getting To The Real Cost Of Customer SuccessSaaS is not immune to churn. Each defection costs a vendor more than just lost revenue. Vendors need to find two new customers to make up for the one they just lost. One new customer to replace the lost revenue and a second one to support the vendor’s growth plans. Because management is fixated on revenue there is a belief that once a customer is successfully onboarded the level of ongoing engagement can be minimized. As well as the associated costs. In reality, this is where and often why SaaS customers churn. Their satisfaction is based on a level of enablement and engagement that is polar opposite from what vendors believe the customer needs.Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/54e0c967e4b025b38eaa5cb5Sat, 21 Feb 2015 09:54:00 -05002015-02-21T09:54:00-05:00SaaS is not immune to churn. Each defection costs a vendor more than just lost revenue. Vendors need to find two new customers to make up for the one they just lost. One new customer to replace the lost revenue and a second one to support the vendor’s growth plans. Because management is fixated on revenue there is a belief that once a customer is successfully onboarded the level of ongoing engagement can be minimized. As well as the associated costs. In reality, this is where and often why SaaS customers churn. Their satisfaction is based on a level of enablement and engagement that is polar opposite from what vendors believe the customer needs.https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2015/02/18/what-top-b2b-marketers-know-that-you-dont/
What Top B2B Marketers Know That You Don'tStudy findings on what top B2B marketers do differently. Having surveyed 750 midsize B2B marketing leaders across a wide range of industries, the study identified four noteworthy differences that set the bar for everyone else.Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/54dfe063e4b025b38eaa5bb9Wed, 18 Feb 2015 17:10:00 -05002015-02-18T17:10:00-05:00Study findings on what top B2B marketers do differently. Having surveyed 750 midsize B2B marketing leaders across a wide range of industries, the study identified four noteworthy differences that set the bar for everyone else.sales&marketing-15https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2015/01/26/why-sales-just-cant-show-you-the-money/
Why Sales Can't Just 'Show Me The Money'Sales’ is always in the CEO’s crosshairs. For the simple reason that despite billions being spent annually on technology, training and recruiting – the percentage of sales reps that meet quota has stubbornly remained at 50 percent for years, if not decades.Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/54c5189be4b041b666b3355bMon, 26 Jan 2015 11:34:00 -05002015-01-26T11:34:00-05:00Sales’ is always in the CEO’s crosshairs. For the simple reason that despite billions being spent annually on technology, training and recruiting – the percentage of sales reps that meet quota has stubbornly remained at 50 percent for years, if not decades.https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2015/01/11/tearing-down-the-silos-that-cloud-apps-create/
Tearing Down The Silos That Cloud Apps CreateFree to tap into virtually any SaaS application without IT involvement, the era of the Cloud has unleashed waves of productivity and innovation. With low monthly prices, who wouldn’t sign up and embrace a SaaS app that makes your life easier.But all the convenience comes at a price. The problem is out-of-the-box integration of SaaS applications is damn hard despite vendor claims. There has to be a better way.Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/549c57ebe4b041b666b2c3e9Sun, 11 Jan 2015 13:47:00 -05002015-01-11T13:47:00-05:00Free to tap into virtually any SaaS application without IT involvement, the era of the Cloud has unleashed waves of productivity and innovation. With low monthly prices, who wouldn’t sign up and embrace a SaaS app that makes your life easier.But all the convenience comes at a price. The problem is out-of-the-box integration of SaaS applications is damn hard despite vendor claims. There has to be a better way.https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2014/12/22/saving-the-cmo/
How To Save The CMOWhat’s missing in the ‘CMO is dead’ or ‘alive’ debate is the role of the CEO. Just as a coin has two sides, CEOs bear significant responsibility for the state of marketing. While most CEOs and board members have not been a marketer that does not give them a hall pass from investing the time to understand how their biggest revenue generating function operates.Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/54983eb8e4b041b666b2b841Mon, 22 Dec 2014 11:24:00 -05002014-12-22T11:24:00-05:00What’s missing in the ‘CMO is dead’ or ‘alive’ debate is the role of the CEO. Just as a coin has two sides, CEOs bear significant responsibility for the state of marketing. While most CEOs and board members have not been a marketer that does not give them a hall pass from investing the time to understand how their biggest revenue generating function operates.all-stars-14https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2014/12/06/salesforce-opens-the-door-to-competitors/
Salesforce Opens The Door To Competitors6 in 10 sales people will make quota in 2014, down from 2013 performance numbers. Training and better sales tools are needed. Sales Cloud hasn't kept up with market needs and that has opened the door to new competitors like PipelinerCRM and Get Base.Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/5481d944e4b0f8beaaadf99aSat, 6 Dec 2014 10:41:00 -05002014-12-06T10:41:00-05:006 in 10 sales people will make quota in 2014, down from 2013 performance numbers. Training and better sales tools are needed. Sales Cloud hasn't kept up with market needs and that has opened the door to new competitors like PipelinerCRM and Get Base.https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2014/11/19/training-is-marketing-and-sales-blind-spot/
Training Is Marketing And Sales' Blind SpotAs long as Sales + marketing don’t address the link between training, performance, and meeting customer engagement expectations, this blindspot will result in a redefinition of their perceived valueChristine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/546aad4fe4b0e125ae833167Wed, 19 Nov 2014 23:15:00 -05002014-11-19T23:15:00-05:00As long as Sales + marketing don’t address the link between training, performance, and meeting customer engagement expectations, this blindspot will result in a redefinition of their perceived valuesales&marketinghttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2014/10/21/outside-in-customer-experience-is-the-best-offensive-strategy/
Outside-In Customer Experience Is The Best Offensive StrategyDesigning business processes from the outside-in, from the customers’ perspective, not only simplifies the customer’s journey but helps brands stay nimble. It's an offensive strategy play.Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/544169a4e4b0d253499da5abTue, 21 Oct 2014 23:10:00 -04002014-10-21T23:10:00-04:00Designing business processes from the outside-in, from the customers’ perspective, not only simplifies the customer’s journey but helps brands stay nimble. It's an offensive strategy play.https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2014/10/01/integrating-fragmented-customer-conversations-into-a-valued-experience-takes-moxie/
Integrating Fragmented Customer Conversations Into A Valued Experience Takes MoxieTwo discussions are occurring in the marketplace around customer experience, one focused on how to interact, inspire and influence buyers to trust and prefer your brand, the other on what to do post purchase. Reintegrating those conversations into one takes moxie.Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/542c1f68e4b0563af2c486efWed, 1 Oct 2014 22:15:00 -04002014-10-01T22:15:00-04:00Two discussions are occurring in the marketplace around customer experience, one focused on how to interact, inspire and influence buyers to trust and prefer your brand, the other on what to do post purchase. Reintegrating those conversations into one takes moxie.ceo-networkhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2014/08/25/going-omnichannel-you-have-to-do-these-7-things-well/
Going OmniChannel? You Have To Do These 7 Things WellOmnichannel experience is “a convenient label that makes people sit up,” says Mark Lancaster, CEO of SDL. It's about understanding what your buyer actually wants in ways organizations can act on. And "marketers finally be able to prove they are doing something useful.”Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/53fbb2f9e4b0bb45818b58dfMon, 25 Aug 2014 18:21:00 -04002014-08-25T18:21:00-04:00Omnichannel experience is “a convenient label that makes people sit up,” says Mark Lancaster, CEO of SDL. It's about understanding what your buyer actually wants in ways organizations can act on. And "marketers finally be able to prove they are doing something useful.”ceo-networkhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2014/07/28/want-to-drive-more-revenue-stop-selling/
Want To Drive More Revenue? Stop SellingSelling has turned into a complicated game of hide and seek. The problem is particularly vexing when sales teams try to engage the C-Suite. One of the biggest moves Teradata made was to disrupt their selling process and adopt a Services Selling Path model.Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/53d6dc4ce4b04838df57bd58Mon, 28 Jul 2014 19:42:00 -04002014-07-28T19:42:00-04:00Selling has turned into a complicated game of hide and seek. The problem is particularly vexing when sales teams try to engage the C-Suite. One of the biggest moves Teradata made was to disrupt their selling process and adopt a Services Selling Path model.https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2014/06/19/why-the-cmo-seat-is-so-hot/
Why The CMO Seat Is So HotMarketing is a blend of art and data science in addition to strategy. Marketers’ job will continue to change as a result of evolving technology and customer expectations. Jive Software's Steele spells out that the marketer’s primary responsibility is influence; not just the buyer but all audiences and stakeholders of a company.Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/53a341f5e4b04a1636e33e17Thu, 19 Jun 2014 16:19:00 -04002014-06-19T16:19:00-04:00Marketing is a blend of art and data science in addition to strategy. Marketers’ job will continue to change as a result of evolving technology and customer expectations. Jive Software's Steele spells out that the marketer’s primary responsibility is influence; not just the buyer but all audiences and stakeholders of a company.cmo-networkhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2014/06/07/solving-the-customer-experience-vs-engagement-vs-omnichannel-puzzle/
Solving the Customer Experience Vs. Engagement Vs. Omnichannel PuzzleWhile customers own their brand experiences, that very ownership is continually changing the Buyer-Seller dynamic which, in turn, is forcing companies to change how they operate. Companies are increasingly stepping up to the challenge; it’s time that technology vendor follow suit. This post discusses what two vendors, Clarabridge and Interactive Intelligence, are doing.Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/53938b91e4b071bceff3bf38Sat, 7 Jun 2014 19:25:00 -04002014-06-07T19:25:00-04:00While customers own their brand experiences, that very ownership is continually changing the Buyer-Seller dynamic which, in turn, is forcing companies to change how they operate. Companies are increasingly stepping up to the challenge; it’s time that technology vendor follow suit. This post discusses what two vendors, Clarabridge and Interactive Intelligence, are doing.https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2014/05/14/marketings-missing-link-is-actually-a-big-blindspot/
Marketing's Missing Link Is Actually A Big BlindspotMarketers don’t know what they don’t know and that is holding Marketing them back. They are stubbornly holding on to an ‘inside-out’ view of their and according to Amit Varshneya, “marketing keeps guessing on how their buyers want to be engaged with.”Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/5355844ce4b0677d2d9a8a2aWed, 14 May 2014 05:10:00 -04002014-05-14T05:10:00-04:00Marketers don’t know what they don’t know and that is holding Marketing them back. They are stubbornly holding on to an ‘inside-out’ view of their and according to Amit Varshneya, “marketing keeps guessing on how their buyers want to be engaged with.”https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2014/04/30/finally-a-credible-way-to-decipher-customer-intent/
Finally, A Credible Way To Decipher Customer IntentWe all know that waiting for the phone to ring is not a viable growth strategy. Marketing’s charter is to build early awareness and brand preference; the big hammer is content, in every imaginable form possible. But the challenge of deciphering intent remains. Without understanding intent, it is very hard to build the right content strategy, nurture program or sales strategy.Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/535eb38fe4b0cafad6fce103Wed, 30 Apr 2014 19:24:00 -04002014-04-30T19:24:00-04:00We all know that waiting for the phone to ring is not a viable growth strategy. Marketing’s charter is to build early awareness and brand preference; the big hammer is content, in every imaginable form possible. But the challenge of deciphering intent remains. Without understanding intent, it is very hard to build the right content strategy, nurture program or sales strategy.ceo-networkhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2014/04/16/growth-hacking-isnt-just-for-start-ups/
Growth-Hacking Isn't Just For StartupsGrowth-Hacking is a new take on an old idea – simply put, it is about finding a better, more efficient way to drive growth. Greg Ott of Intuit shares why big companies need to embrace the principles in order to be more competitive.Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/534bb259e4b0677d2d9a5fe6Wed, 16 Apr 2014 14:03:00 -04002014-04-16T14:03:00-04:00Growth-Hacking is a new take on an old idea – simply put, it is about finding a better, more efficient way to drive growth. Greg Ott of Intuit shares why big companies need to embrace the principles in order to be more competitive.https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2014/03/23/smart-versus-dumb-customer-support/
Smart Vs. Dumb Customer SupportDumb Support is dead, Smart Support is the new mantra. Three basic guidelines that any company can implement to create a foundation for excellent customer service.Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/532f4a65e4b06efaf826e0daSun, 23 Mar 2014 18:21:00 -04002014-03-23T18:21:00-04:00Dumb Support is dead, Smart Support is the new mantra. Three basic guidelines that any company can implement to create a foundation for excellent customer service.https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2014/03/12/ciscos-user-is-the-most-disruptive-force-at-work/
Cisco's User Is the Most Disruptive Force At WorkThe nature of how we work is disappointing. We’re socially isolated, working asynchronously with Skullcandy ear buds on ignoring that thing on the desk called a phone. We all laughed at the movie ‘Her’ not because it’s funny but because it rings true for each of us. What we crave is more quality, stimulating human interactions. You can get that with Cisco Telepresence capabilities now available on your tablet.Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/531f85b3e4b06efaf8269f81Wed, 12 Mar 2014 09:47:00 -04002014-03-12T09:47:00-04:00The nature of how we work is disappointing. We’re socially isolated, working asynchronously with Skullcandy ear buds on ignoring that thing on the desk called a phone. We all laughed at the movie ‘Her’ not because it’s funny but because it rings true for each of us. What we crave is more quality, stimulating human interactions. You can get that with Cisco Telepresence capabilities now available on your tablet.https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2014/03/04/put-stake-in-the-heart-of-marketing-list-vampires/
Put A Stake In The Heart Of Marketing List Vampires2014 is a turning point as marketing practitioners admit to the extent of their database problem and vendors rethink how and what List solutions they offer. While lists are the lifeblood of marketing and sales, they are also energy vampires and resource black holes. Lists are notorious for their poor quality, despite the claims and guarantees of vendors, and are the root cause of a number of organizational issues.Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/5315049be4b039a5ff2d0568Tue, 4 Mar 2014 10:42:00 -05002014-03-04T10:42:00-05:002014 is a turning point as marketing practitioners admit to the extent of their database problem and vendors rethink how and what List solutions they offer. While lists are the lifeblood of marketing and sales, they are also energy vampires and resource black holes. Lists are notorious for their poor quality, despite the claims and guarantees of vendors, and are the root cause of a number of organizational issues.https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2014/02/11/being-contextually-relevant-increasing-customer-loyalty/
Being Contextually Relevant Increases Customer Loyalty“When E.F. Hutton talks, people listen”; success today requires you to always be relevant. There is a rise of software vendors that capture and analyze buyers’ digital actions and turn them into actionable behavioral patterns. Coveo, Totango and Selligent are discussed.Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/52f6ae28e4b0ba3c471ab860Tue, 11 Feb 2014 18:48:00 -05002014-02-11T18:48:00-05:00“When E.F. Hutton talks, people listen”; success today requires you to always be relevant. There is a rise of software vendors that capture and analyze buyers’ digital actions and turn them into actionable behavioral patterns. Coveo, Totango and Selligent are discussed.https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2014/01/18/wednesday-at-lunch-time-is-best-time-for-prospecting-calls/
Wednesday At Lunch Time Is Best Time For Prospecting CallsIn Software Advice’s study, they looked at the lead qualification rates if buyers were called within five seconds of registering for a key asset or CTA (call-to-action). What they found was that if a buyer was called within five seconds of converting than an additional 30 percent of buyers were qualified than if they had been called in five minutes.Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/52dac929e4b07ff08fb366b4Sat, 18 Jan 2014 16:03:00 -05002014-01-18T16:03:00-05:00In Software Advice’s study, they looked at the lead qualification rates if buyers were called within five seconds of registering for a key asset or CTA (call-to-action). What they found was that if a buyer was called within five seconds of converting than an additional 30 percent of buyers were qualified than if they had been called in five minutes.https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2014/01/07/2014-state-of-marketing-email-flood-despite-rise-of-mobile-and-social/
2014 State of Marketing: Email Flood Despite Rise Of Mobile And SocialThe strategies marketers plan to use to drive engagement is an interesting finding from this study. Email is the vehicle of choice to acquire and onboard new customers. Mobile, however, is the preferred channel for engaging with existing customer. Salesforce.com released its Exacttarget Marketing Cloud 2014 State of Marketing study that polled over 2,600 mid- to senior-level marketing managers cross all industries.Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/52c74420e4b07ff08fb2f75fTue, 7 Jan 2014 11:23:00 -05002014-01-07T11:23:00-05:00The strategies marketers plan to use to drive engagement is an interesting finding from this study. Email is the vehicle of choice to acquire and onboard new customers. Mobile, however, is the preferred channel for engaging with existing customer. Salesforce.com released its Exacttarget Marketing Cloud 2014 State of Marketing study that polled over 2,600 mid- to senior-level marketing managers cross all industries.https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2014/01/03/why-desk-phones-are-never-answered/
Why Desk Phones Are Never AnsweredSocial selling can go the way of the phone if we aren’t careful. Its fate however depends on how sales and marketing view the role of social. If it is seen as just another channel to push messages out, don’t expect a different outcome.Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/52c0ceafe4b07ff08fb2d3c9Fri, 3 Jan 2014 06:12:00 -05002014-01-03T06:12:00-05:00Social selling can go the way of the phone if we aren’t careful. Its fate however depends on how sales and marketing view the role of social. If it is seen as just another channel to push messages out, don’t expect a different outcome.https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2013/11/07/the-post-purchase-blues-is-an-expensive-song/
The Post-Purchase Blues Is An Expensive SongVendors and industry pundits are so focused on the purchase experience that they overlook the level of influence post-sale experiences have. For buyers, the post-sale experience is infinitely more important than the purchase. The research of New Business Strategies found that for Fortune 500 companies sixty percent of their purchase decision is based on what the buyer believes their post-purchase experience will be like. Post-purchase is about realizing a complex definition of value that extends beyond the product. While not explicitly stated, for many B2B buyers post-purchase is also about their careers. Why else would they invest so much time and resources investigating a vendor’s post-purchase experience track record?Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/5276cbf1e4b0bf9912cb2b93Thu, 7 Nov 2013 09:27:00 -05002013-11-07T09:27:00-05:00Vendors and industry pundits are so focused on the purchase experience that they overlook the level of influence post-sale experiences have. For buyers, the post-sale experience is infinitely more important than the purchase. The research of New Business Strategies found that for Fortune 500 companies sixty percent of their purchase decision is based on what the buyer believes their post-purchase experience will be like. Post-purchase is about realizing a complex definition of value that extends beyond the product. While not explicitly stated, for many B2B buyers post-purchase is also about their careers. Why else would they invest so much time and resources investigating a vendor’s post-purchase experience track record?https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2013/10/22/the-always-connected-customer-has-killed-marketing-finally/
The Always-Connected Customer Has Killed Marketing, FinallyAttributed to the rapid adoption of mobile and other technologies, the number of always-connected, never-in-one-place customers, which Forrester refers to as the ‘always-addressable’ customer, will account for 50 percent of all online adults, worldwide, by the end of this year. These buyers don’t follow a linear path in their vendor relationships but rather rapidly weave and bob their way through a deluge of electronic noise as they make daily purchase decisions, do research, manage personal transactions, and stay connected with brands and people that matter to them.Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/52669824e4b0c373ef84135aTue, 22 Oct 2013 11:27:00 -04002013-10-22T11:27:00-04:00Attributed to the rapid adoption of mobile and other technologies, the number of always-connected, never-in-one-place customers, which Forrester refers to as the ‘always-addressable’ customer, will account for 50 percent of all online adults, worldwide, by the end of this year. These buyers don’t follow a linear path in their vendor relationships but rather rapidly weave and bob their way through a deluge of electronic noise as they make daily purchase decisions, do research, manage personal transactions, and stay connected with brands and people that matter to them.https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2013/09/05/negotiations-can-drive-churn-but-not-for-ceridian-and-apttus/
Sales Negotiations Can Drive Churn, But Not For Ceridian And ApttusWithin contract negotiations, one particularly disruptive area is the “Quote to Cash” process. Ceridian’s quote-to-cash process was rife with complexity, inconsistent information, and sales renegades who took liberties with discount and contract guidelines. It is a small disruption with major consequences.Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/5227ae1ce4b0fd88608295f8Thu, 5 Sep 2013 10:01:00 -04002013-09-05T10:01:00-04:00Within contract negotiations, one particularly disruptive area is the “Quote to Cash” process. Ceridian’s quote-to-cash process was rife with complexity, inconsistent information, and sales renegades who took liberties with discount and contract guidelines. It is a small disruption with major consequences.https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2013/08/10/new-curriculum-prepares-b-school-students-for-digital-economy/
New Curriculum Prepares B-School Students For Digital EconomyOur economy is in the midst of a fundamental and radical transition that we have not experienced since the cotton gin and steam engine. Tried and true business methods, beliefs and principles are falling by the wayside because they no longer work. Obsoleted in the shift are not only countless sales methodologies but also the traditional marketing roles of demand generation, PR, and event marketing. It’s not enough for the next generation of employees to just understand the technology. They need critical thinking and analytical skills to question, tear down and innovate new principles of leading, selling and creating value.Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/5204391de4b0eab447ca1305Sat, 10 Aug 2013 11:17:00 -04002013-08-10T11:17:00-04:00Our economy is in the midst of a fundamental and radical transition that we have not experienced since the cotton gin and steam engine. Tried and true business methods, beliefs and principles are falling by the wayside because they no longer work. Obsoleted in the shift are not only countless sales methodologies but also the traditional marketing roles of demand generation, PR, and event marketing. It’s not enough for the next generation of employees to just understand the technology. They need critical thinking and analytical skills to question, tear down and innovate new principles of leading, selling and creating value.https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2013/08/03/crazy-makers-trust-busters-and-how-customers-get-even/
Crazy Makers, Trust Busters And How Customers Get EvenThe statistic is that over 80 percent of buyers will no longer do business with a seller after a bad experience. The reality is that it is never one event that destroys trust in a seller rather it’s the last bad experience in a string of disappointments that destroys any remnant of seller credibility.Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/51fd8fa8e4b0eab447c9adbaSat, 3 Aug 2013 19:32:00 -04002013-08-03T19:32:00-04:00The statistic is that over 80 percent of buyers will no longer do business with a seller after a bad experience. The reality is that it is never one event that destroys trust in a seller rather it’s the last bad experience in a string of disappointments that destroys any remnant of seller credibility.https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2013/07/18/36-tips-to-keep-revenue-predictable/
36 Tips to Keep Revenue PredictableInstead of grilling sales and marketing on why pipelines are soft or leads are not being followed up on, leaders should instead look at their strategy. Here are 36 tips to get and keep your revenue predictable.Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/51e81c8ae4b01eba1e83490eThu, 18 Jul 2013 13:11:00 -04002013-07-18T13:11:00-04:00Instead of grilling sales and marketing on why pipelines are soft or leads are not being followed up on, leaders should instead look at their strategy. Here are 36 tips to get and keep your revenue predictable.https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2013/06/16/your-brand-promise-can-create-or-destroy-customer-loyalty/
Your Brand Promise Can Create Or Destroy Customer Loyalty“Marketing is basically a bunch of party-planners – it’s we, Sales, who actually bring in the revenue.” “You hide behind branding and buzzwords to avoid accountability.” “We, Supply Chain, actually build a product and get it to the customer – you just talk about what we do."Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/51b39d0de4b03f988b90fa91Sun, 16 Jun 2013 11:38:00 -04002013-06-16T11:38:00-04:00“Marketing is basically a bunch of party-planners – it’s we, Sales, who actually bring in the revenue.” “You hide behind branding and buzzwords to avoid accountability.” “We, Supply Chain, actually build a product and get it to the customer – you just talk about what we do."https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2013/06/01/meet-the-new-boss-and-his-take-on-your-strategy/
Meet The New Boss And His Take On Your StrategyCustomer experience often begins as a way to drive more revenue and results with a transformed business strategy that is purpose-driven and actively includes the customer. But the notion of including customers in the annual ritual of strategy setting is shaking the foundations, once again, of management beliefs. Yet it happens organicallyChristine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/51aa2b1d76e436064b0c7ff5Sat, 1 Jun 2013 13:32:52 -04002013-06-01T13:32:52-04:00Customer experience often begins as a way to drive more revenue and results with a transformed business strategy that is purpose-driven and actively includes the customer. But the notion of including customers in the annual ritual of strategy setting is shaking the foundations, once again, of management beliefs. Yet it happens organicallyfuture-work-13https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2013/04/25/lithium-takes-a-stand-on-customer-experience-hype/
Lithium Takes a Stand on Customer Experience HypeThe effect of everyone jumping on the customer experience bandwagon is a slowdown in the maturation of this new business discipline. Confusion abounds as does disbelief. No one wants to risk exposing their customers (and their job security) to new engagement practices that might increase instead of decrease frustration and churn. The growing confusion opens unique opportunities for those technology vendors with real solutions that truly enable connective tissue between customers, employees and partners.Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/51793c4076e4fa1dcc6cfa0bThu, 25 Apr 2013 10:48:19 -04002013-04-25T10:48:19-04:00The effect of everyone jumping on the customer experience bandwagon is a slowdown in the maturation of this new business discipline. Confusion abounds as does disbelief. No one wants to risk exposing their customers (and their job security) to new engagement practices that might increase instead of decrease frustration and churn. The growing confusion opens unique opportunities for those technology vendors with real solutions that truly enable connective tissue between customers, employees and partners.https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2013/04/05/sales-and-marketing-alignment-begins-with-the-customer/
Sales and Marketing Alignment Begins with the CustomerThe problem is not the compensation plan or lead scoring criteria, but how the customer is being treated. Is the buyer viewed as a partner, a nuisance to be tolerated, or the raison d'etre of the business?Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/511820c576e4219806950781Fri, 5 Apr 2013 19:41:24 -04002013-04-05T19:41:24-04:00The problem is not the compensation plan or lead scoring criteria, but how the customer is being treated. Is the buyer viewed as a partner, a nuisance to be tolerated, or the raison d'etre of the business?https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2013/03/23/is-your-org-chart-driving-customers-away/
Is Your Org Chart Driving Customers Away?We have to abandon the assembly line mindset and adopt new models of organizing employees; one that is organized around the customer. Specialization is needed to an extent, but what we need more of are experts on individual customers and markets. Generalists with cross-functional experience and diverse backgrounds improve organizational agility, productivity and decision-making.Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/512157a876e4a6fee423aaf5Sat, 23 Mar 2013 08:58:27 -04002013-03-23T08:58:27-04:00We have to abandon the assembly line mindset and adopt new models of organizing employees; one that is organized around the customer. Specialization is needed to an extent, but what we need more of are experts on individual customers and markets. Generalists with cross-functional experience and diverse backgrounds improve organizational agility, productivity and decision-making.https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2013/03/09/should-sales-own-customer-experience/
Should Sales Own Customer Experience?It’s never been clear who should take a leadership role in this new sector of customer experience. Customer experience leads to revenue, but it’s intensely cross-departmental and crosses a wide spectrum of roles and responsibilities. Perhaps it’s unsurprising that increasingly Sales is taking a leadership role in the customer’s lifetime experience.Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/513b4ede76e4ef6075f059faSat, 9 Mar 2013 10:14:11 -05002013-03-09T10:14:11-05:00It’s never been clear who should take a leadership role in this new sector of customer experience. Customer experience leads to revenue, but it’s intensely cross-departmental and crosses a wide spectrum of roles and responsibilities. Perhaps it’s unsurprising that increasingly Sales is taking a leadership role in the customer’s lifetime experience.https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2013/02/22/why-mergers-kill-customer-value/
Why Mergers Kill Customer ValueAs part of the integration plan investing in understanding the experiences customers valued, expectations they have along their journey and actively involving customers to co-create a new, valued customer experience is a good place to start. By putting the customer in the center of the integration process, the success rates of acquisitions could improve. Because it really is all about the customer; not the org chart or systems, these are a means to an end.Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/5127a32676e4f6b6d9d40a65Fri, 22 Feb 2013 12:06:12 -05002013-02-22T12:06:12-05:00As part of the integration plan investing in understanding the experiences customers valued, expectations they have along their journey and actively involving customers to co-create a new, valued customer experience is a good place to start. By putting the customer in the center of the integration process, the success rates of acquisitions could improve. Because it really is all about the customer; not the org chart or systems, these are a means to an end.https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2013/02/03/best-innovation-doesnt-come-in-products/
Don't Waste Innovation on ProductsSoftware is easy to copy and difficult to patent, but relationships, culture and customer loyalty are difficult to take away. Engineers can copy and re-engineer a product in a blink of an eye, but customer trust can give a vendor unmatched staying power. Customers aren’t paying for product innovation; they’re paying for the experience. As part of the experience they also want a trusted partner that will be an advocate for them, help solve their problems and be there when they need them.Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/5109b8f676e4dfcfede68560Sun, 3 Feb 2013 10:40:38 -05002013-02-03T10:40:38-05:00Software is easy to copy and difficult to patent, but relationships, culture and customer loyalty are difficult to take away. Engineers can copy and re-engineer a product in a blink of an eye, but customer trust can give a vendor unmatched staying power. Customers aren’t paying for product innovation; they’re paying for the experience. As part of the experience they also want a trusted partner that will be an advocate for them, help solve their problems and be there when they need them.https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2013/01/21/customer-experience-is-it-the-chicken-or-egg/
Customer Experience: Is It The Chicken or Egg?Customer Experience is a movement. In many ways it reminds me of the rise of the Quality movement in the 1950s spearheaded by Deming. I just wish people would stop attaching ‘management’ to the end of ‘customer experience’.Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/50fd830876e4ef2142e9d6ceMon, 21 Jan 2013 13:19:44 -05002013-01-21T13:19:44-05:00Customer Experience is a movement. In many ways it reminds me of the rise of the Quality movement in the 1950s spearheaded by Deming. I just wish people would stop attaching ‘management’ to the end of ‘customer experience’.https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2013/01/02/customer-centric-messaging-just-in-time-for-sales-kick-off/
Customer-Centric Messaging Just in Time for Sales Kick OffHere are the major steps in a process to develop more customer-friendly messaging in two weeks. It’ll help you in a pinch.Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/50e4a97876e4704e3a026211Wed, 2 Jan 2013 16:51:57 -05002013-01-02T16:51:57-05:00Here are the major steps in a process to develop more customer-friendly messaging in two weeks. It’ll help you in a pinch.https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2012/11/29/why-customer-loyalty-is-hard/
Why Customer Loyalty is HardCulture has re-surfaced on the corporate agenda because business leaders are noticing the relationship between an organization’s culture and customer loyalty. Social technologies and social business models have democratized leadership and information.Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/50b67d4776e4d74e626880a9Thu, 29 Nov 2012 12:38:57 -05002012-11-29T12:38:57-05:00Culture has re-surfaced on the corporate agenda because business leaders are noticing the relationship between an organization’s culture and customer loyalty. Social technologies and social business models have democratized leadership and information.https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2012/11/10/change-or-die/
The Myth that Marketing Automation Reveals Buyers' Journeys.Executives might be afraid of what the customer says, but the best way to understand the customer is to just ask. A vendor’s very survival hinges largely on their ability to overcome those fears, really talk to their customers and then tune their organization’s culture, business model and processes to match customer experience expectations.Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/509c11bd76e4090646ae50ccSat, 10 Nov 2012 10:16:42 -05002012-11-10T10:16:42-05:00Executives might be afraid of what the customer says, but the best way to understand the customer is to just ask. A vendor’s very survival hinges largely on their ability to overcome those fears, really talk to their customers and then tune their organization’s culture, business model and processes to match customer experience expectations.https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2012/10/13/7-tips-of-the-chief-customer-officer/
7 Tips of the Chief Customer OfficerThe transition to a customer-centric organization will transform many Chief Revenue Officers into Chief Customer Officers. As organizations realize that the customer experience and relationship is the asset that leads to revenues, CROs will shift focus from the revenues themselves, to the customers that deliver it. For CROs making this transition, it may feel like unfamiliar territory; here are 7 tips.Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/5079cb8876e4eec625383defSat, 13 Oct 2012 16:33:12 -04002012-10-13T16:33:12-04:00The transition to a customer-centric organization will transform many Chief Revenue Officers into Chief Customer Officers. As organizations realize that the customer experience and relationship is the asset that leads to revenues, CROs will shift focus from the revenues themselves, to the customers that deliver it. For CROs making this transition, it may feel like unfamiliar territory; here are 7 tips.https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2012/09/29/3-tips-to-building-customer-loyalty/
Stop Kicking the Can on Customer LoyaltyIt’s not about viewing the customer from a ‘how much money have they spent with us’ mentality but from a holistic perspective centered on ‘how well do we align with the experience the customer values”. Without that transformative mindset revenue will always be a challenge. This post shares three tips to building customer loyality long before the purchase happen.Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/5067157e76e4c2af644dcd41Sat, 29 Sep 2012 11:55:13 -04002012-09-29T11:55:13-04:00It’s not about viewing the customer from a ‘how much money have they spent with us’ mentality but from a holistic perspective centered on ‘how well do we align with the experience the customer values”. Without that transformative mindset revenue will always be a challenge. This post shares three tips to building customer loyality long before the purchase happen.https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2012/09/09/is-your-2013-planning-a-budget-battle-try-something-new-preference-marketing/
Is Your 2013 Planning a Budget Battle? Try Something New - Preference MarketingIt’s not about the type of relationship YOU want to have with your target markets but about aligning to the expectations buyers have of you. Preference is established time when you consistently offer the specific information (tool or activity) your buyers are looking for, in the places they go to get informed, at each step in their buyer’s journey. Build preference within your target buyers and the annual budget debate will cease.Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/504d106776e4395c761128f3Sun, 9 Sep 2012 18:37:43 -04002012-09-09T18:37:43-04:00It’s not about the type of relationship YOU want to have with your target markets but about aligning to the expectations buyers have of you. Preference is established time when you consistently offer the specific information (tool or activity) your buyers are looking for, in the places they go to get informed, at each step in their buyer’s journey. Build preference within your target buyers and the annual budget debate will cease.https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2012/08/29/four-things-fortune-100-buyers-wished-you-did/
Four Things Fortune 100 Buyers Wished You DidMost sellers are product-feature obsessed while their Fortune 100 buyers are relationship focused. In a recent study conducted on how companies purchase technology we found that Fortune 100 organizations place more importance on the quality of their vendor relationships than how well the product or service performs. Fortune 100 buyers are frustrated with the state of their vendor relationships as sellers are. They scratch their heads as to why “vendors just don’t get” that relationships matter most and wish sellers would start doing four things.Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/503e71cf76e470d03e07b6ffWed, 29 Aug 2012 16:26:53 -04002012-08-29T16:26:53-04:00Most sellers are product-feature obsessed while their Fortune 100 buyers are relationship focused. In a recent study conducted on how companies purchase technology we found that Fortune 100 organizations place more importance on the quality of their vendor relationships than how well the product or service performs. Fortune 100 buyers are frustrated with the state of their vendor relationships as sellers are. They scratch their heads as to why “vendors just don’t get” that relationships matter most and wish sellers would start doing four things.https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2012/06/22/social-roi-is-not-a-myth-just-ask-td-bank-group-or-ibm/
Real Examples of Social Business ROI"TD Bank Group realized that to effectively compete it needed to evolve beyond social media. It had to become a social business and the place to start was inside its four walls. It needed to crack the collaboration nut. This post talks about the types of ROI TD Bank, IBM and other companies have realized along with best practices for achieving ROI in your organization.Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/4fe057c476e497dbf596cdfbFri, 22 Jun 2012 09:45:00 -04002012-06-22T09:45:00-04:00TD Bank Group realized that to effectively compete it needed to evolve beyond social media. It had to become a social business and the place to start was inside its four walls. It needed to crack the collaboration nut. This post talks about the types of ROI TD Bank, IBM and other companies have realized along with best practices for achieving ROI in your organization.https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2012/05/25/4-ways-verizon-is-trying-to-get-rid-of-me/
4 Ways Verizon Is Trying To Get Rid of MeFor many buyers the decision to change vendors happens long before the product or service is delivered or even purchased. Sellers don’t see the signs because they focus on historical patterns; not on the buyers’ experience. By not understanding how the buyers’ journey traverses social and physical worlds and how different interactions impact trust and credibility, sellers inadvertently drive their own churn. There are four experience disruptors that drive churn . These disrupters are institutionalized by inwardly focused product-centric organizations that blind sellers. Sellers become too focused on business models instead of aligning to the buyers’ experience, expectations and sentiment.Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/4fbf9a5476e4cfca294c6136Fri, 25 May 2012 11:42:20 -04002012-05-25T11:42:20-04:00For many buyers the decision to change vendors happens long before the product or service is delivered or even purchased. Sellers don’t see the signs because they focus on historical patterns; not on the buyers’ experience. By not understanding how the buyers’ journey traverses social and physical worlds and how different interactions impact trust and credibility, sellers inadvertently drive their own churn. There are four experience disruptors that drive churn . These disrupters are institutionalized by inwardly focused product-centric organizations that blind sellers. Sellers become too focused on business models instead of aligning to the buyers’ experience, expectations and sentiment.https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2012/05/03/dump-your-social-media-strategy-its-not-customer-service/
Dump Your Social Media Strategy. It's Not Customer ServiceThe market is starting to show signs of social-fatigue with companies and consumers alike starting to question the value from all the time they’ve spent tweeting, sharing, posting and participating. Lithium's new strategy to get into social customer support is well timed.Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/4fa3338d76e45dd2487f171bThu, 3 May 2012 22:09:01 -04002012-05-03T22:09:01-04:00The market is starting to show signs of social-fatigue with companies and consumers alike starting to question the value from all the time they’ve spent tweeting, sharing, posting and participating. Lithium's new strategy to get into social customer support is well timed.https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2012/04/21/what-does-trust-have-to-do-with-anything/
What Does Trust Have To Do With Anything?10 steps to building trust in business relationships and why the lack of trust is at epidemic levels in organizations today.Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/4f93250a76e48a9983bcb51cSat, 21 Apr 2012 17:38:30 -04002012-04-21T17:38:30-04:0010 steps to building trust in business relationships and why the lack of trust is at epidemic levels in organizations today.https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2012/03/24/jerry-mcquire-didnt-sell-smart/
Jerry Maguire Didn't Sell SmartJerry Maguire built his business using brute force; identifying a trigger event has been hit or miss. The amount of heavy lifting required to find enough of these clues to fill a salesperson’s pipeline is daunting. To survive Sales needs to sell smarter; social tools and a 7 step approach can be today’s “Help me help you”.Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/4f6de52e76e444a8e68f56b6Sat, 24 Mar 2012 11:49:39 -04002012-03-24T11:49:39-04:00Jerry Maguire built his business using brute force; identifying a trigger event has been hit or miss. The amount of heavy lifting required to find enough of these clues to fill a salesperson’s pipeline is daunting. To survive Sales needs to sell smarter; social tools and a 7 step approach can be today’s “Help me help you”.https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2012/03/08/what-does-the-extinction-of-dinosaurs-and-social-business-have-in-common/
What Do the Extinction of Dinosaurs and Social Business Have in Common?Culture becomes the make-or-break of social success. Discover the 10 step onramp that successful social business have followed.Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/4f59687c76e45327627148f1Thu, 8 Mar 2012 21:45:12 -05002012-03-08T21:45:12-05:00Culture becomes the make-or-break of social success. Discover the 10 step onramp that successful social business have followed.https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2012/02/25/the-new-corporate-power-couple/
The New Corporate Power CoupleSorry Sales, love you tons but in today’s social economy many of you don’t have a clue. The real keepers of the buyer experience is Marketing and Customer Service; the ‘and’ is the important word in this sentence.Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/4f3a936376e4344128aeaaa4Sat, 25 Feb 2012 13:51:59 -05002012-02-25T13:51:59-05:00Sorry Sales, love you tons but in today’s social economy many of you don’t have a clue. The real keepers of the buyer experience is Marketing and Customer Service; the ‘and’ is the important word in this sentence.https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2012/02/14/six-ways-to-bust-the-social-media-hype/
Six Ways to Bust the Social Media HypeDespite social-mania, or maybe because of it, the transformation has taken root. It is most evident in the battlegrounds over brand control. In a recent LinkedIn poll on sales cycles, over fifty percent of respondents said their sales cycles were changing or lengthening. Six laws help companies understand their path to unlock their growth potential. And it all starts with an assessment.Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/4f2db7cd76e4a063615fb1e2Tue, 14 Feb 2012 12:00:13 -05002012-02-14T12:00:13-05:00Despite social-mania, or maybe because of it, the transformation has taken root. It is most evident in the battlegrounds over brand control. In a recent LinkedIn poll on sales cycles, over fifty percent of respondents said their sales cycles were changing or lengthening. Six laws help companies understand their path to unlock their growth potential. And it all starts with an assessment.https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2012/02/01/big-data-takes-the-guesswork-out-of-managing-sales/
Big Data Takes the Guesswork out of Managing Sales7 tips on taking the guesswork out of managing SaleS and how Big Data applications play a part. The post also contains an infographic from Cloud 9 with statistics on the impact of poor forecasting on the business.Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/4f286b3576e4097e1db61155Wed, 1 Feb 2012 09:34:16 -05002012-02-01T09:34:16-05:007 tips on taking the guesswork out of managing SaleS and how Big Data applications play a part. The post also contains an infographic from Cloud 9 with statistics on the impact of poor forecasting on the business.data-companies-10https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2012/01/23/birth-of-a-social-salesman/
Birth of a Social SalesmanA debate ranges that social technologies replace or marginalize sales on hand or gives it the capabilities it always needed. To get the answers I went directly to Sales to hear what they have to say about social selling.Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/4f1d663676e4097e1db5e784Mon, 23 Jan 2012 09:12:54 -05002012-01-23T09:12:54-05:00A debate ranges that social technologies replace or marginalize sales on hand or gives it the capabilities it always needed. To get the answers I went directly to Sales to hear what they have to say about social selling.social-business-11https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2012/01/07/be-a-social-survivor/
Social Business Can Kill YouRecognize that social customer care is the next evolution for call centers and customer service groups; master it today and you’ll have a competitive edge tomorrow.Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/4f08c45476e4721f2326a1b9Sat, 7 Jan 2012 17:34:12 -05002012-01-07T17:34:12-05:00Recognize that social customer care is the next evolution for call centers and customer service groups; master it today and you’ll have a competitive edge tomorrow.social-business-11https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2011/12/04/social-media-solves-the-demand-generation-riddle/
Social Media Solves the Demand Generation RiddleThe answer to the riddle of demand generation lies in aligning to buyer expectations. Only by being where buyers go and enabling their self-directed journey with value-generating interactions will companies succeed and grow. The pay-off is well worth it: Three to five times velocity of sales cycles and reduced cost of sales by thirty percent or more.Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/4edb7d5376e4e3b46b350a41Sun, 4 Dec 2011 09:23:20 -05002011-12-04T09:23:20-05:00The answer to the riddle of demand generation lies in aligning to buyer expectations. Only by being where buyers go and enabling their self-directed journey with value-generating interactions will companies succeed and grow. The pay-off is well worth it: Three to five times velocity of sales cycles and reduced cost of sales by thirty percent or more.sales-leadership-11https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2011/11/20/social-media-juices-black-friday/
Social Media Juices Black FridayWhat if there was a way for retailers to gauge, in near real time, how effectively they are engaging their buyers? A social index of the “share of conversation” buyer are having with their brands.Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/4ec92c0376e4f3dd951261c7Sun, 20 Nov 2011 11:54:33 -05002011-11-20T11:54:33-05:00What if there was a way for retailers to gauge, in near real time, how effectively they are engaging their buyers? A social index of the “share of conversation” buyer are having with their brands.https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2011/10/15/eloquas-payne-talks-social-enterprise-transformation/
Extreme Make-over Tips to be a Social BusinessThe Social Enterprise big “T” transformation is rooted in four tenets: New leadership models, the Buyers Journey, alignment and technology.Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/4e99926e76e409f7f1acd848Sat, 15 Oct 2011 10:40:33 -04002011-10-15T10:40:33-04:00The Social Enterprise big “T” transformation is rooted in four tenets: New leadership models, the Buyers Journey, alignment and technology.https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2011/10/08/the-gold-in-social-customer-service/
The Gold in Social Customer ServiceThe challenge of adding social media into customer service is that for some companies it means adding another data source, while for others it represents a new way of doing business. The right answer is it is both.Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/4e8e356d76e430ae5aa62f4bSat, 8 Oct 2011 12:26:17 -04002011-10-08T12:26:17-04:00The challenge of adding social media into customer service is that for some companies it means adding another data source, while for others it represents a new way of doing business. The right answer is it is both.org-tomorrow-11https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2011/09/18/how-to-start-your-own-arab-spring/
How to Start Your Own "Arab Spring"Companies that do not become Social Enterprises will not survive this economic cycle. While transformation is part people, process and technology, this article looks at innovative technology that supports becoming a Social Enterprise.Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/4e76103776e46f6dd80277c6Sun, 18 Sep 2011 12:06:45 -04002011-09-18T12:06:45-04:00Companies that do not become Social Enterprises will not survive this economic cycle. While transformation is part people, process and technology, this article looks at innovative technology that supports becoming a Social Enterprise.https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2011/09/11/an-angel-brings-voice-to-twitter-2/
An Angel Brings Voice to Twitter“Social networks are a very anti-social place because it is all text based.” What's needed is voice to make social media more useful.Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/4e6cbe6376e4e0c07738d95dSun, 11 Sep 2011 09:59:06 -04002011-09-11T09:59:06-04:00“Social networks are a very anti-social place because it is all text based.” What's needed is voice to make social media more useful.https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2011/09/03/salesforce-com-ceo-calls-for-a-business-arab-spring/
Salesforce.com CEO Calls for a Business 'Arab Spring'Salesforce.com's Dreamforce wasn't a conference; it was a cult convention. The vision is spot-on, however, I question whether the focus on Chatter will give Benioff the next $1B in revenue he needs.Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/4e625e2b76e4e0c077386a8cSat, 3 Sep 2011 13:27:06 -04002011-09-03T13:27:06-04:00Salesforce.com's Dreamforce wasn't a conference; it was a cult convention. The vision is spot-on, however, I question whether the focus on Chatter will give Benioff the next $1B in revenue he needs.https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2011/08/14/how-alignment-helped-sales-win/
How Alignment Helped Sales WinA case story on how marketing and sales alignment enables a B2B technology vendor to win a strategic deal. Four steps any company can take to begin to align their teams and impact revenue.Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/4e47e6e576e4d79344ecea7bSun, 14 Aug 2011 11:30:09 -04002011-08-14T11:30:09-04:00A case story on how marketing and sales alignment enables a B2B technology vendor to win a strategic deal. Four steps any company can take to begin to align their teams and impact revenue.0https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2011/08/10/tipping-business-and-economy-in-the-right-direction/
Tipping Business (and the Economy) in the Right DirectionIt takes some elbow grease and tenacity but every company can achieve understand the Journey by interviewing the economic buyer, influencers, evaluators and users of every won and lost account to understand the ‘who, what, where, how and why’ of their Buyers Journey.Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/4e431bc776e4d79344ecc86cWed, 10 Aug 2011 20:11:47 -04002011-08-10T20:11:47-04:00It takes some elbow grease and tenacity but every company can achieve understand the Journey by interviewing the economic buyer, influencers, evaluators and users of every won and lost account to understand the ‘who, what, where, how and why’ of their Buyers Journey.0https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2011/08/04/corporate-america-time-to-pull-up-your-socks/
Corporate America, Pull Up Your SocksFive unique opportunities to shape a new global economy.Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/4e3a9d9a76e4716100005d81Thu, 4 Aug 2011 09:32:56 -04002011-08-04T09:32:56-04:00Five unique opportunities to shape a new global economy.https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2011/07/15/how-madmen-lost-their-mojo/
How Madmen Lost their MojoThere is a rising tide of voices about how Madmen have lost credibility because of their lack of ‘knowing the numbers’.Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/4e206c7fd7e7e4762cf4b4d9Fri, 15 Jul 2011 12:43:08 -04002011-07-15T12:43:08-04:00There is a rising tide of voices about how Madmen have lost credibility because of their lack of ‘knowing the numbers’.0https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2011/06/26/influencing-your-buyer/
Influencing Your BuyerMarketing’s new charter is to gain the trust of buyers by enabling them, only then can they influence the buyers’ journey.Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/4e075ff8f675e4760cd7ee7bSun, 26 Jun 2011 12:42:15 -04002011-06-26T12:42:15-04:00Marketing’s new charter is to gain the trust of buyers by enabling them, only then can they influence the buyers’ journey.0https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2011/05/29/customers-dont-read-the-yellow-pages-anymore/
Customers Don't Read the Yellow Pages AnymoreMisalignment is actually a symptom of a larger, more systemic problem plaguing companies. Companies do not understand the journey that buyers of their solutions take before they sign on the dotted line.Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/4de26e876417e4767812cf0aSun, 29 May 2011 12:35:17 -04002011-05-29T12:35:17-04:00Misalignment is actually a symptom of a larger, more systemic problem plaguing companies. Companies do not understand the journey that buyers of their solutions take before they sign on the dotted line.https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2011/05/08/three-metrics-to-measure-sales-and-marketing-alignment/
Three Metrics to Measure Sales and Marketing AlignmentThere are three key metrics that CEOs should start using to achieve this: End-to-End Conversion, Revenue Diversity and Outcome Profitability.Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/4dc673194fcecd3050eaa605Sun, 8 May 2011 06:40:31 -04002011-05-08T06:40:31-04:00There are three key metrics that CEOs should start using to achieve this: End-to-End Conversion, Revenue Diversity and Outcome Profitability.0https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2011/04/23/three-steps-to-alignment/
Three Steps to AlignmentThree steps on the path to sales and marketing alignmentChristine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/4db2f73816a3e96be52be05cSat, 23 Apr 2011 12:03:32 -04002011-04-23T12:03:32-04:00Three steps on the path to sales and marketing alignment0https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2011/03/29/the-changing-face-of-how-work-gets-done/
The Changing Face of How Work Gets DoneSince the dawn of automation the focus has been on increasing productivity. Frederick Taylor, a pioneer of efficiency, started the automation movement by redefining how workers did their jobs during the industrial revolution. Taylor’s focus was on repeatability and standardization of work activities to increase productivity and consistency [...]Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/4d918f856ea05dfd60239650Tue, 29 Mar 2011 03:52:57 -04002011-03-29T03:52:57-04:00Since the dawn of automation the focus has been on increasing productivity. Frederick Taylor, a pioneer of efficiency, started the automation movement by redefining how workers did their jobs during the industrial revolution. Taylor’s focus was on repeatability and standardization of work activities to increase productivity and consistency [...]https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2011/03/05/six-archetypes-of-sales-and-marketing/
Six Archetypes of Sales and MarketingSales and marketing leaders, like the rest of us, come in a multitude of personality types. But only a handful of distinctive styles have emerged within the leadership ranks of each of these disciplines. And the two groups of styles are different. Understanding those differences is key to figuring out [...]Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/4d725c1850885dfd0d980006Sat, 5 Mar 2011 10:59:55 -05002011-03-05T10:59:55-05:00Sales and marketing leaders, like the rest of us, come in a multitude of personality types. But only a handful of distinctive styles have emerged within the leadership ranks of each of these disciplines. And the two groups of styles are different. Understanding those differences is key to figuring out [...]https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2011/02/11/why-ceos-cant-blame-marketing-or-sales-for-lack-of-alignment/
Why CEOs Can't Blame Marketing or Sales for Lack of AlignmentI went on a pilgrimage to interview CEOs, corporate board members and venture capitalists with first-hand experience at alignment. What I found was both elating and depressing.Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/4d55ece89bb65dfd1d5ec48dFri, 11 Feb 2011 21:15:27 -05002011-02-11T21:15:27-05:00I went on a pilgrimage to interview CEOs, corporate board members and venture capitalists with first-hand experience at alignment. What I found was both elating and depressing.https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/2011/01/28/why-your-old-corporate-website-should-die/
Why Your Old Corporate Website Should DieRather than boring your customers to death, there is a clear opportunity to put the dull corporate website to rest. Then resurrect it as a platform for true community engagement that functions as a hub for interaction with all customers and stakeholders, replete with media, public and private communities for ideation, customer advocacy, support, employee communication, vendor collaboration, training, media engagement and social media at the very infrastructure.Christine Crandell, ContributorChristine Crandell, Contributorhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecrandell/4d42d654c6c55dfd74278f3fFri, 28 Jan 2011 09:48:06 -05002011-01-28T09:48:06-05:00Rather than boring your customers to death, there is a clear opportunity to put the dull corporate website to rest. Then resurrect it as a platform for true community engagement that functions as a hub for interaction with all customers and stakeholders, replete with media, public and private communities for ideation, customer advocacy, support, employee communication, vendor collaboration, training, media engagement and social media at the very infrastructure.